CMS board chooses Elyse Dashew to lead as new chair

In a unanimous vote, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board chose Elyse Dashew to be the board’s new chair on Tuesday, following the retirement of board chair Mary McCray.

Dashew, who was re-elected in November, had served two terms as vice chair. She was first elected to her at-large seat in 2015, after years of involvement in advocacy for public schools.

“We have so much important work to do and I am confident that this board is ready and willing to make the crucial decisions that will help our students,” she said.

Dashew’s selection reflects new leadership of the school board for the first time in seven years. McCray, who did not run for re-election this year, had served as the board’s chair since 2012.

The board also unanimously chose Thelma Byers-Bailey to replace Dashew as vice chair. Byers-Bailey first joined the board in 2013, and was re-elected in 2017, representing District 2.

“I am honored to serve as the vice-chair for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education,” Byers-Bailey said. “I look forward to working with the chair and the other members to move our district forward.”

Jennifer De La Jara and Lenora Shipp were also sworn in as the two new members of the school board. Both were elected in November to the seats left open when McCray and Ericka Ellis-Stewart decided to not seek re-election this fall.

De La Jara, a former ESL teacher in Cabarrus County, currently works at International House overseeing literacy partnerships with CMS. During the election, she emphasized her work with immigrant students in Charlotte and spoke about the need to advocate more for that community’s needs, once elected.

Shipp, who has been an educator for 30 years, is a former CMS principal. She has said she would draw on her knowledge and experience as someone who has recently worked in schools and understands what works and what doesn’t to guide her as a board member.